The increasing use of wireless communication devices has led to a corresponding increase in the variety of networks that such devices can connect to. For example, peripatetic users of wireless communication devices may come within range of a variety of radio communication towers operating on licensed bands, such as cellular telephony bands or Personal Communication Service (PCS) bands, Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) bands, and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) bands. Additionally, wireless communication devices may also come within range of various Wi-Fi networks as their users move the wireless communication devices within range of various public and private Wi-Fi networks, such as when the users travel from home to work, visit a coffee shop, enter an airport, or enter a school.
Many of the frequency bands available for radio communication are exclusively licensed to a carrier who provides communication access to wireless communication devices that are subscribed to the carrier's services. As long as the wireless communication device is within the carrier's geographic service area, the wireless communication device can send and receive voice and/or data communications on the home network that is provided by the carrier (often referred to as the “home network”). However, as a wireless communication device travels outside the geographic service area, the wireless communication device may attempt to connect to another available network (often referred to as a visited network) that is not provided by the carrier to which the wireless communication device is subscribed. Similarly, as a wireless communication device travels internationally, a connection from a cell phone tower provided by the subscribed wireless carrier may not be available. Oftentimes, this results in a wireless communication device entering a roaming mode, in which the wireless communication device connects to a visited network after traveling beyond the geographic coverage area of the home network. While the wireless communication device may be able to send and receive voice and/or data communications while roaming on a visited network, roaming usage typically results in significantly higher fees for the user as they connect to a visited network.
Moreover, the process to connect to a visited network may require reconfiguration of the wireless communication device or input from the user in order to maintain voice and data service.